Women: MVP Stanley a hit for Appco's/Duke's

Becca Stanley was named the MVP of the Women’s Charity Classic Sunday and she has the hardware to prove it after she hit safely 11 times in four games as Appco’s Sports World/Duke’s battled out of the losers bracket to capture the tournament championship.(Times Staff / JULIA WILKINSON)

RIDLEY TWP. — Becca Stanley was in a bit of a slump when the Women’s Charity Challenge started last Friday night.

Her hitting woes did not last long.

The 20-year-old outfielder smashed 11 hits in four games Sunday to take home the MVP trophy had Appco’s Sports World/Duke’s Tavern come out of the losers bracket to beat Casey’s for the team title.

Stanley, a sophomore at Wilmington University, was at her best in the championship round as Appco’s/Duke’s won 6-2 and 20-4 in five innings at Father Nall Field. She was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a triple in the first game, and went 4-5 with three runs scored and one RBI in the clincher.

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“I was much more relaxed,” Stanley said. “I didn’t beat myself like I usually do.”

Instead, Stanley took it out on Casey’s, which knocked off Appco’s/Duke’s, 6-5, in the winners bracket final.

That loss put Appco’s/Duke’s in a position where it had to win four games in a row to win the title, which it did.

“I think that helped us,” Stanley said. “Once we got the momentum going, we wanted to keep it going.”

Playing four straight games and five games in the span of six hours was no problem for Stanley. She plays in three summers leagues so she’s always on the go. She plays for Cocco’s in the Del Val Youth Women’s Fast Pitch League, the Hook Deli Stinkbombs in the Marcus Hook Coed League and for Appco’s/Duke’s.

Some players have trouble going from fast pitch to slow pitch and back, but not Stanley.

“A lot of people ask me that, but it’s never been a problem for me,” Stanley said. “I went from a slow pitch game earlier this year to a fast pitch game and found the fast pitch game to be easier because the pitches are all (belt high). I have to make more of an adjustment in slow pitch.”

Credit that to her dad, Ron Sr. She started playing slow pitch softball with him when she was 13 so she’s a grizzled veteran, with three charity tournament titles and one MVP trophy on her resume before her 21st birthday.

“To win (the team title) for a second year in a row is really special,” Stanley said.

And what made it even more special for Stanley was coming through when her team needed her. That’s why Chris Camac, Lynnae Schlack and Dawn McGrath recruited her to play for Appco’s/Duke’s more than a year ago.

“She has power, speed and a great arm,” McGrath said. “She’s the kind of player you want on your team and she came through for us today.”